NOW STREAMING - HARD MILES
Now available on Digital VOD!
Praise for HARD MILES:
“Matthew Modine finally gets the starring role he deserves, the first that’s fully tested him since his Eighties heyday, in this true-life sports drama about the healing power of cycling.”
-Kevin Maher, The Times (UK)
“The film is a combination of spectacular scenery, arduous exertion, inspiring pep talks, adolescent rebellion, emotional confrontations, and lessons learned by both the teenagers and their leader.”
-Nell Minnow, RogerEbert.com
“The beauty of film is that it allows the audience to encounter real people and the hopes and struggles of what it means to be human and so find ourselves within those characters. "Hard Miles" does just that. It offers a spiritually transforming experience for viewers who believe that goodness and beauty are present in each human being. Sometimes we only need to help bring it out so that each person's light can shine for the world to see.”
- Gabriel Awards
Awards:
Heartland Film Festival - WINNER; Jimmy Stewart Legacy Award
Gabriel Awards - WINNER; Best Feature Film (2025)
Denver Film Festival - WINNER; Audience Choice Award
Naples International Film Festival - WINNER; Audience Choice Award
Bentonville Film Festival - 2023 SPOTLIGHT FEATURE
Puerto Rico Film Festival - WINNER; Best International Feature; WINNER; Best Supporting Actor (Cynthia Kaye McWilliams); WINNER; Best Cinematography
BreckFilm - 2023 Audience Choice (3rd place)
Directed by: RJ Daniel Hanna | 1h 48min | United States | 2023 | Executive Producer: Scott Sander, Pensé Productions | Produced by: Christian Sander
Starring: Matthew Modine, Cynthia Kaye McWilliams, Sean Astin, Leslie David Baker, Jahking Guillory, Jackson Kelly, Damien Diaz, Zachary T. Robbins, and Emily Kincaid.
HARD MILES takes a page from the heartfelt, humor-filled coming of age sports dramas that graced our screens in the ‘80s and '90s. Inspired by true events at Ridgeview Academy, a medium-security correctional school in Colorado, the film follows beleaguered social workers GREG (Matthew Modine) and HADDIE (Cynthia Kaye McWilliams) as they round up an unlikely crew of incarcerated students for a seemingly impossible bike ride from Denver to the Grand Canyon. Together they hope this arduous journey will transform the misfit teenagers into a well disciplined cycling team. As the beginner bicyclists battle heatstroke, speed wobbles, and the greatest enemy of all cyclists - a chafed crotch - they must learn to stop fighting and ride together as a peloton. The bicycle serves not just as a means of transportation, but as a test; a way for each of these young men to see what they are truly capable of, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
As Haddie attempts to be the voice of reason, coach Greg Townsend pushes the boys to their limit, and cracks begin to form in the peloton. Ultimately, Greg’s words will ring hollow unless he can apply his principles of moving forward to his own life and make amends in his own family. In the sweltering desert, the boys reach a crossroads and face a fateful decision about their futures. There are many laughs and tears along the way, earned by the film’s commitment to authenticity. We shot on location (no green screen) with our dedicated cast pushing themselves through grueling conditions on the actual bikes ridden by Ridgeview students, welded in the school’s metal shop by the real Greg Townsend, who served as our on-set consultant.
Filmed on high altitude roads in the Sierra Nevada, sprawling desert lands in Navajo Nation, and Grand Canyon National Park, our commitment to authenticity spanned multiple states. This is a beautiful story we feel fortunate to bring to the screen, and one we believe audiences will treasure for years to come. Blue Fox Entertainment is launching sales in 2023 with an eye toward a nationwide theatrical release in early 2024.
Co-written by Christian Sander and RJ Daniel Hanna and directed by 2021 Academy Nicholl Fellow R. J. Daniel Hanna.
Sales: BLUE FOX ENTERTAINMENT
Publicity: press@bluefoxentertainment.com
